as colour

22-28 Business Park DriveRavenhall, Melbourne VIC

https://www.ascolour.com.au

AS Colour’s Code of Conduct, first and foremost, expresses the importance we place on social responsibility. It guides us in operating with the highest standards of business ethics and respect for human rights.

We work with great people and we care for their well-being. We care how we do business, who we do business with, and how people are treated. This Code helps us ensure we and our suppliers act responsibly and provide safe, fair, legal and humane working conditions.

We require each of our factories to comply with the Code as part of their contracts. This ensures they adhere to standards that meet or exceed internationally acceptable good labour practices found in law, regulations and treaties (especially those from the International Labour Organisation).

Requiring compliance with the Code helps to set out our expectations for conducting business. It’s also part of how we encourage continual improvement of local standards in all the areas in which we work.

All of our factories must agree to external audits. They are expected to make improvements where standards are not met, to meet ongoing compliance. We insist on proof of correction within a reasonable timeline for each non-compliance. This is a must for AS Colour to continue working with a supplier.

We aim for transparency and traceability at all levels of our supply chain. All suppliers are required to map, track and monitor all locations in all levels of their supply chain and provide transparency information when we request it.

I. EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP:

Suppliers shall adopt and adhere to rules and conditions of employment that respect workers and, at a minimum, safeguard their rights under national and international labour and social security laws and regulations.

II. HEALTH AND SAFETY:

Suppliers shall provide a safe and healthy workplace to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of suppliers’ facilities. Conditions must be safe, clean and meet or exceed requirements of all applicable laws and regulations relating to health and safety.

Suppliers shall take a proactive approach to health and safety by implementing policies, systems and training designed to prevent accidents, injuries, protect worker health and help workers perform their jobs safely. (ILO Convention 155)

III. ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOUR:

No worker shall be employed under the age of 15 or under the local mandatory school education age, whichever is higher. Juvenile workers (ages 15-17) shall not perform work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to compromise their health, safety or morals. (ILO Convention 138 and 182)

IV. ELIMINATION OF FORCED LABOUR:

There shall be no use of forced labour, including prison labour, indentured labour, slave labour, and bonded labour. (ILO Conventions 29, 105, 182)

Suppliers shall ensure every worker has freedom of movement and the right to leave or enter work voluntarily. This includes a prohibition on the use of recruitment fees in hiring employees.

V. PROHIBITION OF HARASSMENT AND ABUSE:

Every worker shall be treated with respect and dignity; not subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.

All employment decisions (including hiring, compensation, advancement, discipline, termination and retirement) must be made based on the principle of equal employment opportunity. (ILO Conventions 100 and 111)

VII. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING:

Every worker shall be free to join organisations (including independent unions) of their own choice. Suppliers shall recognise and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining. All suppliers shall develop and fully implement effective grievance mechanisms which resolve internal industrial disputes, employee complaints, and ensure effective, respectful and transparent communication between employees, their representatives and management. (ILO Conventions 87, 98 and 135)

VIII. WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

Every worker has a right to compensation for a regular work week that is sufficient to meet the worker’s basic needs and provide some discretionary income. Employers shall pay wages which equal or exceed minimum wage, comply with all legal requirements on wages, and provide any fringe benefits required by law and/or contract. (ILO Conventions 26 and 131)

In addition to compensation for regular working hours, employees must be compensated for overtime hours at the rate legally required in the country of manufacture or, in those countries where such laws do not exist, at a premium rate. (ILO Convention 1 and 30)

IX. HOURS OF WORK:

Suppliers shall not require workers to work more than the regular and overtime hours allowed by the applicable law of the country where the workers are employed. The regular work week shall not exceed the maximum allowed by the law of the country of manufacture. Employers shall allow workers at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every seven-day period. All overtime work shall be consensual. Employers shall not request overtime hours on a regular basis. The sum of regular and overtime hours in a week shall not exceed the maximum allowed by the law of the country of manufacture. (ILO Convention 1).

X. SUBCONTRACTING:

No supplier is permitted to subcontract work without prior approval by AS Colour and only after the subcontractor has agreed to comply with this Code. All samples and bulk production orders must be placed within facilities that have been pre-approved by AS Colour, without exception. Direct suppliers are required to continuously monitor approved subcontractors and sub-suppliers for social and environmental responsibility using standards that meet or exceed this Code.

Any use of temporary, agency, or contract workers must be made clear to and authorised by AS Colour. Further the standards in this Code shall apply equally to all workers, permanent or otherwise.

XI. TRACEABILITY:

AS Colour aims to have transparency and traceability at all levels of our supply chain. All suppliers are required to map and continuously track and monitor all locations in all levels of their supply chain and upon request provide transparency information into the owned and/or subcontracted mills, plants, factories and other sites that are involved in the production of our products.

XII. SHIPPING:

Suppliers shall comply with all applicable customs laws safeguarding against the illegal shipment of products.

Suppliers shall maintain security procedures to guard against the introduction of non-manifested cargo.

XIII. ENVIRONMENT:

Suppliers shall adopt reasonable measures to mitigate the negative impact that their operations have on the environment. Environmental policies and standards must comply with all applicable environmental laws. This includes proper storage and disposal of hazardous substances, and efforts towards the minimisation of energy consumption and waste as well as the optimisation of natural resources and recycling.

XIV. ENFORCEMENT AND AUDITS:

Suppliers shall be willing to engage in unannounced audits by independent auditors including on-site inspections to ensure compliance with this Code and other certifications. Suppliers shall also provide an avenue for workers to be independently and externally interviewed.

XV. CODE POSTING AND VIOLATIONS:

All suppliers are required to post this Code in a place frequented by all employees in the local languages spoken by employees; and undertake annual training efforts to educate current and new employees about this Code and any revisions made to it.

To report any suspected violations of this Code of Conduct please contact us at ethics@ascolour.com. All information we receive will be kept in strict confidence and your identity protected.